Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords]
David Chadwick Excerpts(1 month ago)
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)
Order. The hon. Gentleman’s time is up.
David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
I rise to speak in strong support of new clauses 1 and 2.
New clause 1 seeks to raise the age of consent for social media data processing from 13 to 16. As the father of two young boys, I am deeply concerned about the way in which tech platforms engineer addiction, manipulate attention, and shape childhood in ways that parents and even Governments cannot easily counter. This is not hypothetical; it is the reality that our children are living every day. Children aged 13 to 15 are especially vulnerable. Those social media algorithms do not just show content. They shape beliefs, reinforce insecurities and amplify harm. Whether it is body image filters, content promoting self-harm or endless scrolling, these platforms are designed for engagement, not wellbeing.
The new clause would not ban young people from using social media. It simply says that their data should not be exploited for commercial gain without genuine, informed consent. By raising the age to 16 for these specific practices, we align with international best practice and the United Nations convention on the rights of the child. With clear exemptions for education and health platforms, this is a targeted and proportionate reform that prioritises children’s mental health.
New clause 2 deals with copyright compliance and AI. As we all know, the AI revolution is here, but just as we would not let a factory operate by stealing its raw materials from others, we should not let AI models train on copyrighted work, such as books, music or journalism, without permission or payment. The new clause makes one clear demand: if an AI system operates in the UK, it must respect UK copyright law, regardless of where the servers are based. We are standing up for our creators—for the authors, musicians, film-makers and developers whose work gives AI its power. In Wales alone, the creative industries turned over £1.5 billion in 2023, employing more than 37,000 people. Let us not wait for lawsuits or damage to our industries. The new clause provides legal clarity, defends creators, and affirms that Parliament, not silicon valley, writes the rules.
These Liberal Democrat new clauses are principled, practical and long overdue, and I urge all Members to support them.
Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords]
David Chadwick ExcerptsWednesday 12th February 2025
(3 months, 3 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] 2024-26 View all Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] 2024-26 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: HL Bill 64-I Marshalled list for Third Reading - (4 Feb 2025)
Steff Aquarone
This is absolutely not a pitch to be a member of the Bill Committee, but I would certainly be grateful for the opportunity to implement my views in the design and delivery of Britain’s very own Tiger Leap into the data-driven revolution.
Estonia is a crystal-clear example proving that the results of such a transformation are not just the preserve of tech geeks—a category into which I place myself—but provide tangible benefits for individuals, and not just by making them use digital stuff at the front end, which the hon. Member for Windsor (Jack Rankin) will be glad to hear. I think about the lady in her 90s whose Openreach engineer understandably refused her fibre upgrade because the local council had not shared with them the fact that she used a telecare device. I also think of the farmers who are baffled by the systems used to issue flood recovery payments, because the data is not transparent.
David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
Does my hon. Friend agree that the key to extracting value from datasets is data retrievability?
Steff Aquarone
Absolutely. There are so many layers upon which data governance, data infrastructure and data practices must be established, and data retrievability is one of the things that sit between those layers and the application or interface that uses them.
Creative Industries
David Chadwick Excerpts(4 months, 1 week ago)
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David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
When we talk about clusters of excellence, Wales must be at the forefront of the discussion. It is the birthplace of many famous musicians, actors and actresses, and the House can be assured that a steady flow of talent is in pipeline. I know that because last night I took my two sons to their first panto in Brecon, where we saw the Westenders’ performance of “Robin Hood”—a community show, like many across the country, that brings people together as only the arts can.
Whenever I go to these shows, I notice the volunteers who sacrifice endless hours to make sure that the show goes ahead. People spend a whole month washing all the costumes that people wear during the performances. As far as I am aware, washing a whole cast’s kit is something that AI cannot yet do. That is why it is so important that we listen to the people at the grassroots of our creative industries, who face similar challenges across the country.
We have heard that small towns across the UK—Brecon is certainly up there—can provide a big stage for upcoming talent. It is important to keep developing that talent pipeline. Sadly, the Welsh Government have proposed a 9% cut to the Arts Council’s revenue budget for 2024-25, which would come on top of a 10.5% cut the year before, leaving the revenue budget at its lowest since 2007-08. That reduction will put further strain on an already vulnerable sector.
As we heard from the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies), the creative industries are a powerful force in Wales, contributing more than 5% to our GDP and growing faster than the overall economy. With more than 35,000 people employed in the sector and a turnover of £1.5 billion in 2023-24, it is clear how vital the creative industries are to the Welsh economy. Film and television have been a massive success story. Wales is a global powerhouse in the UK’s media landscape, with shows such as “Gavin & Stacey” showcasing our talent to millions; over 19 million people watched the final this Christmas. Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones, we commend you. It is time for my humblebrag: my mum went to Porthcawl comprehensive school with them both.
The time for action to improve the arts is now. I am glad that the Government are talking about their plans for a better deal for the arts across the UK. We must make sure that includes Wales. The Welsh creative industries, especially our music and arts sector, must receive the support and investment that they need to survive and thrive. Clearly, we have the talent and the potential, but we need meaningful long-term policies and investment to ensure that the sector continues to grow and flourish for future generations.
As we have heard, the creative industries are a vital growth mechanism for the rural economy. That is why I am calling for a creative enterprise zone to be established in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, to give a platform and all the help we can to the creative artists and musicians across my constituency.
Chris Bryant
I have already had several conversations with the owners. It is a brilliant facility. As I said in my first speech today, we have a large number of studios. Incidentally, I am delighted that we launched the Labour campaign for Earley and Woodley just outside those studios. That obviously brought us good luck. Of course, I am happy to visit when time allows.
I am not sure that I will be able to answer every single question that has been asked, but there was one subject that exercised quite a lot of Members: access for all to the arts and creative industries.
David Chadwick
I thank the Minister for giving way; it is very gracious of him. Many young farmers in Wales have told me that they would love to watch the output of the UK creative sector, particularly on Netflix, but they cannot. They are not able to download Netflix because their broadband is not good enough. What would the Minister advise them to do?
Chris Bryant
They should get in touch with the Telecoms Minister, but unfortunately he is rubbish. That is me. I am very happy to talk about the broadband issues in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency at any point, and if he wants a meeting with Building Digital UK, we can go through the specifics area by area. I have offered that to as many Members as I can.
Getting back to the creative industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) was channelling his inner Frank Sinatra; he basically said, “If we can make it here, we’ll make it anywhere.” He made a very good point: we need to make sure that creativity is perceived not as something that we see only in the big cities of this country, but as something that we need to exercise in every single part of the country. My hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Nesil Caliskan) made a very similar point about her constituency. My hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) made precisely that point—that creativity is not just about cities, but towns—as did my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Joe Morris).
The hon. Member for Guildford (Zöe Franklin) said, “If only we could recruit from not just one demographic.” I feel that so strongly. Perhaps the most famous actor from my constituency was Sir Stanley Baker from Ferndale, famous for “Zulu”, a film that every Welsh person has to watch about 52 times a year. Bringing people into the creative industries from every demographic is a really important part of what we need to do.